Inside My Heart
by HollyShannenForever
Summary: A little love goes a long way. Hanna has a deep, dark secret buried inside her that only Ella is aware of-which threatens to fray her bond with her daughter & her best friend. Hanna's romance with Caleb & her relationships with her mom & her friends are tested as she hides what happened that dreadful night. No A, and Alison is dead. AU, Ella/Hanna friendship story (no femslash!)
1. I'm Your Angel

**A little love goes a long way. Ella helps Hanna through some hard times and at the same time, she is falling hard for her coffee shop crush. Hanna has a deep, dark secret buried inside her that only Ella is aware of-which threatens to fray her bond with her daughter and her best friend. Hanna's long distance romance with Caleb and her relationships with her mom and her friends are tested as she hides what happened to her that dreadful night. No A, and Alison is dead. AU, Ella/Hanna friendship story (no femslash!)**

_And then you will see the morning will come  
And every day will be bright as the sun  
All of your fears cast them on me  
I just want you to see_

_I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I hear your voices when you call me  
I am your angel_

_And when all hope is gone, I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your angel  
I'm your angel_

It was a typical night in Rosewood. The teenagers were at their school dance, and Ella Montgomery was chaperoning. From finding out about her husband's affair with a woman half her age, to her daughter's romantic relationship with her colleague, it had been a rocky year for her. She wanted to relax and she wished someone would ask her to dance, _anyone_, but as usual, nobody did. After Byron, she thought she'd be forever alone. There was that cute coffee shop guy, Zack, who flirted with her, but she didn't think there was a chance with him because she was ten years older than him and he would probably want someone who's time wasn't running out. _Why else would Byron cheat on her?_ She enviously watched other couples grind each other and make out. With a roll of her eyes at her boring, pathetic life, she went outside to use the restroom. It was quiet in the hallway, and a little dark. Her footsteps echoed as she passed the closed classroom doors. Someone was on their cell phone, and she saw that it was Hanna Marin, her daughter's best friend.

"I miss you, too, Caleb. When are you coming home? Okay, bye. I love you too."

_Even they were a couple and they were in a long-distance relationship_.

She shamefully hid her face with her hair and slipped into the women's restroom. As she was finishing up and washing her hands, she heard a loud scream. It wasn't like a delighted one, this one sounded terrified.

Just like that, her dull life just got interesting. She quickly wiped her hands on her jeans while running down the hallway to follow where the screaming was coming from. The sound of a gun going off made Ella go faster. Something crashed, and then she heard a few more bangs. Her heart was pumping so much adrenaline that she was afraid she would stumble in her step. She rushed into the open door and stopped short when she saw a blonde girl curled up, bloody, and naked, with the exception of her shoes. A gun was beside her and the girl was shaking horribly. A ripped dress was hanging off the shoes. Ella looked behind her when she heard a squeal of tires. In an instant, she knew what had just occurred.

The girl looked up and her eyes were red. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. It was Hanna, and Ella was shocked. _Wasn't Hanna just talking to Caleb ten minutes ago? _"Mrs. Montgomery…I-I'm so…I have to go…but I can't…"

She covered her mouth and slowly walked towards Hanna, so she wouldn't frighten her. "You can call me Ella when you're not in my class during the days." She picked up her soiled dress. Sadly, it was too mangled to be put back on, since the skirt of it was ripped and there was some blood on it. Hurriedly, she took off her coat and placed it around Hanna's shivering body.

"Ella…I-I killed…I think…he's almost…" Hanna gasped sharply and her whole body heaved. Vomit spilled out of her mouth and onto the floor. "He ran off."

"I hope he does die," Ella murmured. "Hanna, I'm very sorry…but your dress is ruined."

"I know! I know, and I can't go back in there! I…can't…face…them…I don't want to."

"You know what? You don't have to."

"What do I…say?"

"Don't worry about that. Should I call your mom to come and pick you up?"

"No!" Hanna's eyes flashed with anger and humiliation, and Ella's heart broke at the girl's pain. "Don't you dare. She doesn't deserve…to know…and you…shouldn't be here. Don't tell her, don't tell anyone, please!" she begged. "It's bad enough that my best friend's mom knows!"

Ella gave Hanna a warm hug. "Okay. It can be a secret between us, for now. We have to call the cops, though."

"It doesn't matter. He's probably dead by now. I…I killed him, and if anyone finds out…I'll be sent to Radley, or a juvenile delinquent center…and I can't go there!"

"It was self defense. I'll figure out what to do."

"Oh, god!" Hanna sobbed in Ella's arms. "Why…fuck!" She grabbed her purse that was laying on the floor a few feet away from her and pulled out her phone.

"Your friends are probably getting worried about you…do you want me to borrow your phone and text them that you were sick and you went home?"

"Sure, thanks." Hanna gave the older woman her phone. Ella shot off a message to Aria, Emily, and Spencer.

_Came down with a bug and went home, see you later._

"Done."

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

"You're taller than me, so I can't carry you," Ella said apologetically.

"It's okay, that's why I was called Hefty Hanna."

"No, no! If anyone's hefty, it's me. You're built like a supermodel."

Hanna scoffed. "You're not hefty…what are you, like twenty-five?"

Ella smiled. "You're fifteen years off. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and ready to go home. I just need to call your mom so she can bring an extra change of clothes. I'll meet her out front and tell her you spilled punch on your dress and it caught on something."

"No, no, don't leave…what if he comes back or someone else finds me here? Plus, I look like shit, I have bruises all over me and scratch marks. I'm probably gonna get a black eye soon. I suppose I could just say I had a klutzy moment."

"You've got a point…can you stand up for me? You can lean on me while I help you."

Hanna clutched Ella's hands while Ella put the dress back on Hanna. Ella took Hanna's purse off the floor and led her to her car. The gun and Hanna's destroyed undergarments were disposed in the trash can and Ella drove Hanna home. After the two hugged, Hanna got out of Ella's car and walked to her house. Ella waited until Ashley let her inside and the door closed.

Ella shut her eyes and smoothed her hair back from her forehead like she always did when she was upset or stressed. She started the car and returned to the dance. She checked her face in the mirror and it was blotchy. She'd been holding in the tears for too long. She couldn't imagine that kind of thing happening to her own daughter, let alone her best friend's. Ashley would be devastated if Ella ever told her Hanna got raped.

In the decorated gym, the dance was still going on, as if nothing happened. Nobody heard the gunshots and nobody was aware that Hanna had just gone home except for her friends, and they weren't worried, obviously, because they thought she was just sick. They weren't even paying attention to Ella, either, so they wouldn't have noticed that she disappeared for almost a whole hour. Another chaperone asked Ella where she'd been, and she simply explained that she was on the phone arguing with her ex husband. That was a legit enough excuse. Her daughter would be harder to lie to, though. Aria could see right through her.

"Mom...Mom!" Someone tapped her from behind. It was Aria.

Ella jumped in surprise. "Oh, hey, honey!"

"We're gonna go to Hanna's for a sleepover. She seemed awfully lonely tonight, and we want to cheer her up and keep her company. Besides, she's sick and she wouldn't want to bother her mom. Ashley's got Pastor Ted over."

"Oh," Ella said faintly. "That's nice of you guys. She has great friends."

Aria grinned. "I know. We love her and there isn't anything we wouldn't do for her."

"Okay, well, you girls have fun."

"Thanks. Why don't you go to The Brew? Zack might be there," Aria said teasingly.

Ella blushed. "I can't right now. The dance isn't over yet."

"Mom, you're bored here. Get out of here and have the time of your life!"

"Aria, he doesn't think of me in the way that you're hoping."

"Ella, you can leave if you want to. I'll take over," Mrs. Welch volunteered.

"Oh, great. Thanks!"

Aria waved goodbye to Ella outside the gym's back door and ran to Spencer's car.

"Hi, Mrs. Montgomery," Emily said as Spencer got behind the wheel.

"Hi, Emily, Spencer. Sweetie, wait a second, when are you going to be home?"

"Ummm...I don't know. Noon, tomorrow...I guess. I'll text you when Spence drops me off at your apartment. I can't spend another second with Dad and Meredith." Aria rolled her eyes.

Ella wrinkled her nose at the thought of them together. "Okay. I'm so glad you're safe." She hugged her daughter.

"Of course I am," Aria mumbled. "Mom, you're squeezing the life out of me!"

"I'm sorry, honey." She patted Aria's cheek and kissed her forehead. "Sweetheart, it's normal for teenagers to be expected to tell their parents where they are, okay? I mean, if you drive yourself to and from school, that's fine, but you have to still let me know. I'm a parent. I worry, like you might get into a car accident."

"Well, don't! I'm with my friends. They won't let me get hurt." Aria got into Spencer's backseat and closed the door. "Bye, Mom!"

"I love you."

"I love you, too!"

Ella swallowed hard and patted her chest where her heart was. She went to her own car and got inside of it. She didn't want the girls to surprise Hanna and burst in her room-she wouldn't want that if she was in Hanna's situation. She had Aria's friends' numbers in her phone so she could call them if she couldn't reach Aria. She dialed Hanna's number while she sat behind the wheel.

A soft voice answered, "H-hello?"

"Hanna, I just wanted to, um, warn you...that your friends are coming...my daughter told me."

"Oh no! I don't want them to see me like this! My mom has already asked enough questions! I had to actually describe the thing I bumped into. It was hard...but I did it." Her voice cracked.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I couldn't exactly tell them no...I would have to make up more excuses. They want to hang out with you, so act really surprised to see them. Also, they're planning on sleeping over."

"What if I have nightmares?"

"People can have nightmares of someone attacking them even if it never happened in real life."

"Well...I just wanted to...I wanted to call you...in the night...because you're the only one who knows the truth."

"You may."

"Okay, thank you." Hanna sniffled. "Bye."

"Goodbye."

Ella closed her phone and drove to The Brew while she played soothing music. She parked and then went inside. She looked around for Zack and the sweet aroma of scones and muffins filled her nostrils. She smiled when she saw him. He and her daughter always lifted her spirits.

"Hi, Ella," Zack greeted her. "Pastries are fresh out of the oven, if you want some."

"Oh, no, but thank you anyway. I just came here to relax."

"Rough night?"

She lowered her gaze to a table as she sat down. "No, more like rough year...I feel like my whole life has been a lie...or my adult life, really. I should not have said that, I don't know why I did."

_"Ella, you don't need all those treats. Why are you eating this crap?"_

_"Why shouldn't I, Byron? Are you calling me fat?"_

_"No, no, but I'm allowed to worry about your health, aren't I? I mean, I see these women older than you and they're in good shape."_

_"Well, isn't that great for them?"_

_"You should exercise more and eat chocolate cake less." He grabbed her plate away from her and started chowing down._

_"I take hot yoga with Aria, you asshole!" Ella shouted._

_"Okay, Jesus, I'm sorry, calm down!"_

A wave of nausea came over Ella and she held her head in both her hands. She felt tears building up, but she quickly wiped them away.

"What's the matter?" Zack wanted to know.

"Nothing. My personal issues...I wouldn't expect you to care."

He pulled out a chair for himself and took the spot next to her. "I've got until midnight, when this place closes. That's in four hours. I'm not busy except for if people come in, and right now, this place is pretty empty."

Her heart leapt and she stared at her nails that were sitting on the table. "My life is the exact opposite...full and yet, empty at the same time. I don't know, there's just something missing...I have two teenagers who I love to the ends of the earth, and some best friends...and I've witnessed truly upsetting things. I can't really explain it all right now. It's too confusing. I've had to adjust to many changes." She absentmindedly touched the indent on her ring finger and sighed.

"I think I know what's missing."

"Oh, you do, huh?"

"Yeah. Romance. I haven't had a girlfriend since college."

"Hmm...that was a long time ago."

The cafe's door opened and in walked Byron and Meredith. Ella completely ignored them, but she could feel their judging stares on her back. The blonde whispered in Byron's ear, probably something about how Ella was only coming here to fill up her belly, and Byron laughed, and even though they may not have been talking about Ella at all, she was still degraded.

"More customers," Zack said and got up.

"That's fine. I've gotta go home...and do some stuff. See you."

"Ella, hold on, I never got your number."

"Yeah, me neither." She was about to take her phone out of her purse until Byron ordered four scones for himself and Meredith. She turned on her heel, exited the cafe, and drove to her apartment.

_Get the fuck over it already, Ella! He's moved on, so should you! It happened a year ago...well, two years ago, but you found out about it a year ago, _she thought to herself angrily. She harshly stomped into her apartment and threw her purse on the couch. She had so many questions. They never regretted either of their choices to marry each other, but why did Byron let his student ruin their marriage? Why did he keep telling Ella he loved her when he really didn't? Why did he ask their daughter to keep it hidden from her for a year? She thought Iceland was all about rekindling their romance, but it was really just her deceitful husband faking his desire for her. If he was bored, why didn't he just break up with her in an honest way?

She wanted to ask him that straight out, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She went straight to bed after getting into her pajamas and curled up on one side of her mattress. She extended her arm so her hand laid on the extra pillow she wasn't sleeping on. Sometimes when Aria slept over, she would sleep next to Ella, but most of the time, Ella slept by herself. She didn't miss Byron in the slightest, but she hated being alone. Once she found out about his affair, she had never felt so isolated in a relationship in all her life. She wanted a faithful and loving partner. She wondered if Zack would ever fill that hole in her heart, but she pushed the thought away as soon as it came. The man probably had a million young girls and women flocking to the coffee shop and wanting a little more than just his pastries.

"Zack...I love you...but if you don't love me back...that's okay, I understand. I know I'm a pathetic forty year old lady with teenage children, one of who is a senior in high school and you would never be interested in me," she said aloud in the dark room. She closed her eyes and let herself sleep.

Hanna called her at about three in the morning. Ella picked up the phone and drowsily answered it.

"I'm in the bathroom. They can't hear me because I'm whispering, and I've locked the door. I had a nightmare and they asked me why I was screaming...I saw him in my nightmare, Ella...he had a pig face for some odd reason...maybe because he is one. Also, I think...I think I should tell you who..." Hanna cried as she spoke the man's name, but she was hard to understand.

"Who? Who was it that raped you?"

"Detective Wilden."

"What?" Ella asked quietly. She sat up straight in bed. She heard what Hanna said, but she barely knew this cop and she thought cops were supposed to save people from this sort of thing, not commit the crime themselves. "I...I don't believe I'm familiar with him."

"My mom is, and that's why I couldn't bear to tell her...if it was anyone else, I may have told her eventually, but she can never know about this, I mean it! She...she offered herself to him so he'd let me off my shoplifting charges...and he obviously took advantage of that...he was harassing me...like always...and then he was just...on top of me!"

Ella got out of bed, but she wished she hadn't, since once her feet touched the ground, she fell and dropped her phone.

"Ella? What's wrong? Are you still there?" Hanna's voice was far away, and Ella crawled toward her phone and picked it up.

"Yes...yes, I am. I guess I'm still in a lot of shock. Why wasn't that slimy cop in jail when he...raped...your mom?"

"He didn't rape her. Yes, she may have not liked the sex...but she consented, that's how much she loves me."

"I see that. Did you ever file harassment charges on him when he bothered you before?"

"No, there's nothing we can do, because he's a cop. My mom called Mrs. Hastings on him, but that doesn't stop him from getting to me in a way that my mom wouldn't know about what he did to me."

"I'll figure out what to tell Barry, Officer Holbrook, and Lieutenant Tanner."

"Thank you. They're like, the only cops I can rely on. The rest...I can't trust them."

"I get you."

"Ella, do me a favor...please."

"Anything."

"Make sure neither my name nor my face gets in the paper. I just want him busted or dead...and if he's dead, there's no use to tell a soul."

"How would we know if he's dead?"

"Well, do you know what he looks like?"

"Yes, he was a part of the Alison DiLaurentis murder case. I've just never interacted with him. You need justice, Hanna. What he did was sickening. I will make sure I hunt him down and kill him if he's not already dead. If he was, it would make the news."

"Yeah...the report would be made by like, tomorrow. I...I apologize for all this trouble." Her voice cracked. "It's my fault, you know. I shoplifted and got myself involved with him...if I had never done it, he would have never..."

"No!" Ella said sharply. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this! It's him. It's him, not you. You shoplifted, yes, but he is a grown man who chose to take advantage of a teenage girl. What he was supposed to do was arrest you and then let you go when your mom bailed you out. He was never supposed to be anything more than a cop. He has interrogated you girls about killing Alison and then this time, he went way too far. He can rot in hell, for all I care!"

"But-"

"No buts! I will handle this. Try to get some sleep and I'll see you on Monday, all right?"

"Yes, ma'am...I mean, Ella."

Ella smiled at Hanna's self-correction. "Can you promise me you'll never call me 'ma'am' again?"

"Yes, I can promise you that. It's just...you sounded strict, and I thought you were angry with me."

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"Well...because...you sounded mad."

"It wasn't directed at you...you have to know that. I hate the situation you're in, and I despise the monster who did this to you."

"Oh...okay. So...bye, I guess."

"Bye. Sweet dreams!"

"Thanks. You too."

Ella hung up, as did Hanna. She shuffled back to bed and slept for a good twelve hours. Aria woke her up. She noticed that she was more tucked in than she had been before. Aria sat on the side of her bed.

"You just got home?"

"No, I arrived at noon. You looked exhausted and cold, so I pulled up your blankets to your chin and kissed your cheek."

"Oh...thank you, baby."

"You're welcome. After all that time with Zack, you must have had way too much fun! What, did you stay there all night long?"

Ella giggled halfheartedly. "You wish. I know you want me to find love because your father has...but the truth is, I can't. Zack and I have barely said two words to each other."

"Your cheeks went red when you said 'Zack and I.' I'm not telling you to jump in bed with him or anything, but if you really want him, you should go for it!"

"I need to do this carefully...like wading into the ocean. I...I haven't done this in a while. Dating when you're forty is so different than dating when you're seventeen."

"You're a hot mama. You totally have a chance with him!"

Ella chuckled softly at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Aria...let me get some breakfast."

"I already made some!" She served Ella a plate of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. After that, they went shopping and linked arms as they walked around the stores.

When Monday came around, Ella taught her classes with ease. It was only the one that her daughter and her friends were in that was the hardest. With a heavy heart, she watched Hanna sit down with the most troubled look on her face. She overheard the conversation.

"Still feeling sick? I'm sure my mom will give you a pass to go home," Aria said.

"No. I'm fine."

"Then why the long face?" Spencer asked.

"Did Caleb break up with you or something?" Emily wondered aloud.

"No...I guess...senioritis is really getting to me."

"You can always talk to us," Aria told her.

"I...I know that." Hanna caught Ella's eye as she passed out quizzes for the reading assignment. The poor girl looked absolutely distraught. "Mrs. Montgomery...I'm afraid I didn't...I forgot about the chapter...in the book."

"Do you want to read it in a different room? I can give you your test later after school."

"Sure. That would be fine. Thanks."

"I'm gonna pass the test cuz I really raped that chapter!" one of the boys bragged. The girls stared at him in disgust and Ella banged her hand on his desk.

"Hey! That is not appropriate language in my classroom! Would you like an F on the test, young man?"

"N-no, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"No! Excuse me, but that's not enough of an apology."

"What...what do you want me to do? Rip open your jacket and blouse and-"

"No!" Ella shouted. "Leave my classroom and I expect to see a five page essay on how rape is a serious issue...due tomorrow!"

The boy left the classroom reluctantly while a few students laughed until Ella glared at them. "That should be a warning to the rest of you."

Hanna looked like she was about to cry. She got up and tore out of the room with her books close to her chest. Ella followed her and met her at the end of the hallway. Hanna was breathing heavily and sobbing while collapsing down the wall and onto the floor. "I can't do this, Ella! It's only Monday, and I'm already having a breakdown. I can't come here all the time and have teachers...like Meredith Sorenson...yell at me for being lazy and expect to keep a straight face...I can't do any homework or projects or tests...boys look at me lustfully and all I can think of is...him...touching me...help!" she squeaked, and Ella pulled her in for a hug. They went further out of the school and Hanna ran someplace. "I need to show you a special place. It's nice and quiet and it reminds me of Caleb...it's our swing. I want to talk and it's the perfect spot."

"Hanna, I can't just leave my class to run wild. I'm sorry."

"Then...can I...read...the chapter...with you? Can you read it to me? I want to call my boyfriend and miss school for the rest of the day...except for lunch."

"Of course," Ella allowed. "You'll be okay out here?"

"Yes." Hanna set aside her books and wrapped her arms around her knees. She plucked her phone out of her bag and dialed Caleb. Ella returned to her classroom and got the students back to business.

"I gave you all different tests so you don't cheat off each other."

Collective groans spread out through the room as she sat down at her desk. Some students erased whatever answers they had circled. She graded everyone's papers from the week before and then when the students finished their tests, the bell rang. They all left and Ella waited for her next class. She wanted to give that home wrecking bitch a piece of her mind, both for destroying her and Byron's marriage and for calling out Hanna for being too upset to concentrate on schoolwork, but her politeness and maturity held her back.

"I will not crumble," she told herself. "I will be strong for Hanna...my second daughter that I never had."

She did, anyway. Fresh tears crawled out of her eyes and splashed onto her desk. She put her head down on her folded arms and cried...for Aria, who was used to protect Byron's secret, for Hanna, who was sexually abused by a deranged cop, and for herself, who wasn't at all worthy of being loved by another man.

**so this is my new (and first) Pretty Little Liars story...I posted it today in honor of the premiere of Pretty Little Liars! Hope you enjoy! I'll try to update it every Tuesday!**


	2. Girl Talk

_They like to chat about the dresses they will wear tonight_

_They chew the fat about their tresses and the neighbor's fight;_  
_Inconsequential things that men don't really care to know_  
_Become essential things that women find so apropos_  
_But that's a dame, they're all the same it's just a game they call it_  
_Girl talk, girl talk_

"Okay well, if you miss me like crazy, then why don't you come home...and back to me?" Hanna asked Caleb in response to his previous statement.

"It's hard to explain. I'd love to, but...there's complications."

"Complications? Like what?"

"Miranda's uncle...he's weird...you told me to help her find him, and she did, but-"

"So there you go! You're done! If her uncle's so weird, then call the cops."

"No, not that kind of weird...he's a mortician, and he talks about dead bodies, and it creeps her out. She thinks he might kill her."

"Then bring Miranda here, it's...safer," Hanna muttered, thinking of Ella, the only one who knew what was wrong with her.

"She can't leave her town."

"Why not?"

He sighed. "There's rumors going around that Ravenswood is cursed."

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Cut the bullshit, Caleb! Seriously, what are you on...drugs or something? When did you start believing in unrealistic stuff, because last time I checked, you were my boyfriend and...you love her, don't you? That's why you want to stay with her! That's why you haven't been calling me..." She trailed off, crying her heart out. "You keep saying you're busy, or it's difficult to talk about...I trust you to help another girl, who is very pretty, and you...damn you!" she yelled.

She hung up on him before he could answer and laid down on the swing with her phone still in her hands. She fell asleep with tears leaking out of her eyes.

_"Hello, Hanna," a voice said behind her, and she jumped. She glanced over her shoulder and kept walking, almost sprinting, towards the gym, but Detective Wilden grabbed her and went to an empty classroom. She started to feel very nervous when a creepy smile spread across his face._

_"Leave me alone," she snapped angrily. "My mom said-"_

_"Aww, you think your mommy can protect you," he mocked her. "She can't do shit! You're all alone...nobody cares about you right now...and I get to do what I always wanted to do to you." He backed her against a desk and laid her on top of it. "I wasn't even remotely into your mommy. You're way hotter!" She struggled as he held her down and stripped her of her dress._

_"Get off of me, you bastard!" she said through gasps of air. "Stop it! No!"_

_His moans as he went inside her drowned out her crying. He forced his stick further into her and then came his fingers. He flipped her over and rammed into her butt crack. Hanna was choking on her sobs and she was now unable to try to fight him off. He pushed her off the desk. He kicked her and she felt blood everywhere._

_"You don't fucking shoplift and get away with it ever again, you dumb little bitch! You're a whore, aren't you? That's why you were such a naughty, bad girl for me, huh? Your body was like a slice of heaven!" He slapped her butt and squeezed it. She squirmed away from his grasp, but he kept touching her and biting her in her most sacred areas. "Be a good girl and don't move, do you understand me?"_

_When he was finished after an agonizing five minutes or so, Hanna spied his gun on his belt. She wrapped her arms around his waist to fake loving him back, but she wrestled the gun off of his belt and pointed it at his ugly face. Her chin quivered as she stared at him hard._

_"I swear to God I'll kill you!" she said through her tears. "See how you can't mess with me? My mother turned out to be right, didn't she?"_

_He put his hands up. "Now Hanna, you don't want to be arrested for murder on top of shoplifting, do you?" A stupid laugh came out of his mouth. "You can't hurt me even if you tried!"_

_"Nobody will find out. Like Alison said, two can keep a secret if one of them is dead!" With shaking hands, she pointed the gun at Wilden and pressed the trigger. The bullet missed his head, so she tried again. This time, she got him in the crotch so he would fall down and not try to get away. She had tears running down her cheeks as she kept shooting the sick animal. Finally, she shot him in the chest, but he ran off and drove away._

Hanna screamed and cried so much from her nightmare that she threw up. That was the same one she always had now. When she got home from the incident, Ashley sent Pastor Ted home and took care of Hanna. She insisted she had to go to bed because someone slipped something in her drink and she was klutzy so she toppled into broken glass. Ashley said that was strange, but she believed her daughter.

The bell rang for lunch. Hanna met her friends at their usual hangout spot. They waved at her and grinned happily. She plastered on a fake smile and gave them hugs. She enjoyed seeing them, but she didn't want to bring them down with her lame attitude. They bought lunch together and the conversation was mostly between Aria, Emily, and Spencer. Hanna was staring into space and picking at her food. She put pieces of pasta in her mouth with her fingers since the fork felt too heavy.

"So, Hanna, what do you think?" Aria asked.

"What do I think about what?"

"What we were just talking about...should I date Jake or Ezra?"

"Oh, um, that's not up to me...whoever won't get you in trouble with the law or your parents, I guess...whoever is nicer...maybe?"

They gave her funny looks.

"What are you smoking?" Emily wondered out loud.

"Since when did you become a non-rebellious girl?" Spencer asked.

"Why do you care what the law or my parents think?" Aria wanted to know.

"Well, um...I just don't want Ezra to get in jail-"

"My parents like him now," Aria reminded her. "They wouldn't dare call the police. It's just, technically, I'm with Jake...but I still love Ezra. Did you know that bitch Maggie lied to him? Malcolm is not his kid!"

"Wow," the others said with disdain.

"I'm sorry for not seeming like a great friend...you can go out with who you want." Hanna sat her chin in her hands. "It's just...don't cheat on Jake if you really love Ezra," she advised her friend.

"Oh, I won't...I don't want to be like my dad. I just...I don't know how to break up with Jake."

"Not by text message," Emily said.

"Or a phone call," Spencer added.

"How about in person?" Hanna asked.

"Good idea...but the words to say, I'm not sure."

"Me neither. I haven't dumped anyone," Hanna said.

"Yeah, same," Spencer said.

"Hanna, can we talk...in private?" Emily asked.

Hanna nodded. "Sure." They got up and left the group to go outside.

"What's going on with you?"

"I'm sick of school and I miss Caleb a lot, that's all...and I wasn't feeling well this weekend, I told you guys-"

"You're acting like someone died, Hanna. The last time Aria's mom was that nice to a student was when Maya died and I was in such a dark place. Did something happen to your mom or Caleb?"

Hanna shook her head fiercely. "No! They're fine...it's just...look, Em, don't worry about me. I'm okay...honest. Can we please go back to lunch?" she begged.

Emily looked at her curiously. "All right."

They returned to their table to find that Paige and Toby had joined them. Aria was talking to Paige while Spencer and Toby were making out.

"Okay, I can't watch that," Hanna decided aloud.

"Yeah, neither could we, so we just had our own private conversation," Paige said. She got up and kissed Emily. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, babe."

"Come on, Hanna, you and I can both wallow in pity that our boyfriends don't go here." Aria slipped her arm through Hanna's. They went to another part of the school.

"So...how's Caleb?" Aria asked.

"Last time we talked, he sounded like he was doing just fine over in Nowheresville...excuse me, Ravenswood."

"Would you want to visit him when you get a chance?"

"Of course I would, but he said it's dangerous there. Besides, I'm really behind in school."

"Oh yeah...my mom's always happy to help."

"That reminds me! I have to set up a meeting place with her after school."

"Hanna, looking good!" a boy catcalled at her. She cringed and put her arms around herself.

"She's off limits. She has a boyfriend, you know!" Aria shouted at him, but he'd already left. "Men can be so dumb!"

"That was not a man. That was a hormonal teenage boy."

"No different than a lot of boys at this school...that's why I date older guys. They're more mature."

_They're no better,_ Hanna thought. _Perverts can be any age._

"Hm." The bell rang. _Saved by the bell._

"Aren't you coming?" Aria wondered aloud as Hanna plopped down on a bench.

"Nope, you go ahead. I'm tired. See you tomorrow!"

"Umm...okay. Bye!"

"Bye."

Each hour that passed was painful for her. She felt like she was trudging through quicksand and losing all her energy. She curled into a ball on the bench and took shaky breaths.

She closed her eyes and didn't wake up until she felt someone lightly tap her on the shoulder. Her eyes opened halfway and she could barely make out the person in front of her. The warm smile, the long brown hair, it couldn't have been anyone but Ella Montgomery.

"Still up for our tutoring session?"

"Yeah. I'll go."

"Good, are you okay with The Brew?"

"Uh huh."

"Alright then."

Hanna followed Ella to the older woman's car and they got inside. She wanted to talk about Caleb with someone and tell them the truth. Her friends would understand, but she didn't want to bring them down. She didn't want to bring Ella down either, but since her husband cheated on her, she'd know exactly what Hanna was going through.

"More nightmares today?"

Hanna nodded. "I keep seeing him. I constantly freak out when guys flirt with me. When would we have time to go to the police station?"

"You don't have to go. I will...I just need to get my thoughts together. I'm going to tell them that I caught someone raping a student at the Rosewood High dance, but the perp got away before I could see him."

"Well...what if he's dead? It could all lead back to me being the killer." Hanna shivered at the thought of holding his gun. The cold feeling was always there.

"I'll tell the police he shot himself."

"You're changing the story, first, you're saying you didn't catch him because he escaped...now...I don't know."

"If he is alive...I'll say I didn't see him. If he's dead, I'll say he committed suicide. I threw away the evidence so you wouldn't get in jail, Hanna. No matter how you see it, I am a witness to a crime. I will report him, but I won't say you murdered him."

"I'm a cold hearted killer," Hanna mumbled. "I took someone's life away. I was so scared...and I wasn't thinking...all I could do was shoot."

Ella squeezed Hanna's shoulder. "When people are under stress, they react quickly and defend themselves as best they can. He would not stop, and the only way to save yourself was to get rid of him."

"Why are you being so...forgiving...after what I've done?" Hanna asked weakly. "God, I am so stupid...I deserved it."

"You didn't do it out of hate-"

"Yes, I did! I hated him! I didn't want him dead, I just wanted him to move out of Rosewood or something!"

"Exactly. You only wanted him out of your life. What do you think you deserved? Not the rape, that's for sure."

"Nothing."

"You know, if you're having any other problems-"

"I told you, it's nothing!" Hanna said furiously. "I'm sorry," she apologized in a softer voice.

Ella pulled into The Brew's entrance. "That's okay. You can tell me whenever you feel like it."

Hanna was quiet as they went into the coffee shop. Ella carried a book and some pieces of paper inside. They sat down.

"So...why The Brew?"

"No reason. It just...puts me in a calm and happy mood."

"Hello, ladies, can I get you anything?" The owner's nametag read _Zack_.

"Oh...maybe I'll have a blueberry scone and a caramel latte, decaf, please...Hanna, what would you like?"

"Um...I didn't bring any money, so nothing for me, thanks. I forgot my wallet at home."

"Don't worry about it. It's on me."

"Ella..."

"Oh, hush, you, it's not a big deal."

Hanna sighed. "Peppermint mocha and a blueberry scone, please."

"Coming right up!"

"You didn't have to-" Hanna started.

"Well, I did. I really don't mind."

"Okay...um...before we start...can I tell you something? I...I think I need to say this."

"Of course you can."

Hanna wrung her hands nervously and fiddled with a strand of her hair. "Caleb and I broke up. Not officially...but...it seems like he's seeing someone...behind my back...and he doesn't want me anymore...do you think he's cheating on me?"

"Why would he do that to a girl as sweet as you are?"

"I can't believe that I thought what we had was love...I gave her to him, though...I trusted him to help her find her uncle...and he did...but he doesn't want to leave...her..." She suddenly stopped talking and started hyperventilating. She felt Ella wrap her hands around her arms.

"I remember how heartbroken I was when Byron cheated on me. It crushes you...tears you apart on the inside...but I'll say one thing. You're stronger than I am."

"What?"

"I didn't tell anyone for a very long time. I was ashamed...and doubtful he would do such a thing...and when I see his mistress...I want to literally rip her throat out. Seeing them in this town...knowing that she was my friend...it's like a kick in the gut. Of course Byron denied it when I confronted him, he said he loved me, I stupidly went back to him after a while...but we separated again."

"Yeah...I know...Aria told me...about how you liked Ezra and Byron didn't."

"Not right away...but I handled it better than Byron. What I was trying to say earlier...the pain will never go away...but time heals. Pretty soon, you can open your heart to love again. I've told Aria this, and I'll tell you too...not every relationship is meant to last forever...especially when you're young. It's okay to be single, but sometimes, you get lonely."

"My mom felt that way before she met Ted."

"I know."

Zack set their coffees and scones in front of them. "Enjoy!"

"Thank you, Zack." Ella smiled brightly at him.

"Anytime. Hi, I think I've seen you here before...you're Emily's friend, right?"

"Yeah, my name is Hanna. Nice to meet you."

"You too."

Ella chuckled lightly as he walked away and she sipped her coffee. Hanna saw her blush and where her stare was headed.

"Crushing on the muffin man, huh?" Hanna smirked.

Ella jumped and giggled nervously. "What...what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you were checking him out. I don't blame you...he does have a cute butt."

"Hanna, stop it!" Ella whispered, slightly amused.

"Hot Mama and the Muffin Man. What do you think?"

"I think we should get to work," Ella said quickly. Her face was growing redder by the minute, and Hanna couldn't resist a laugh.

"Sorry, I was just teasing you."

"I know, sweetie."

"It's...how I'd tease a friend...and I realize you're my teacher..."

"That doesn't matter. Both inside and outside the classroom, you're my daughter's friend, which is as close to a friend as you can get...you're one of my younger friends, that's all."

Hanna smiled into her coffee cup. "Thanks. You're my mom's best friend...and my best friend's mom...as confusing as that sounds, you're my older friend."

"Then feel free to tease me any time you like...as long as I get to tease you right back...when it's appropriate."

"Oh, okay, that's fine."

The Brew's door swung open and Hanna's face fell when she saw the person saunter inside as if he owned the place.

"What's wrong?" Ella asked gently.

"Downton Grabby," Hanna muttered, using Spencer's nickname for Rosewood's not-so-professional doctor. "Wren Kingston...and he's coming this way."

"Hanna! Fancy seeing you here. Still interested in a date?"

"Um...no. I'm unavailable." She anxiously looked down at the table.

"Come on, my accent isn't alluring? Spencer said it was...and she kissed me."

"Yeah, like two years ago, and she was drunk."

"You kissed me too," he rattled on.

"It was a _mistake_," she said harshly. "I was just...excited...that you...helped me with Mona."

"See, you should be grateful for that...I gave you something, so you need to give me something in return."

"I hugged you. I never meant to go further."

"Hanna, I really like you, but I hate that you led me on. I wish Mrs. Montgomery wasn't here." His hand crept along her arm and dangerously close to her chest. She wriggled away until Ella pushed him aside.

"Leave her alone, you creep! Why don't you ask out someone who is _not _in high school? You are a doctor. Should I tell your boss that you are a pedophile as well? Hanna is seventeen, and even if she was older, she does not want you. You need to leave, unless you only want something to eat or drink, and in that case, you can talk to Zack."

Hanna shook a little while holding herself. Wren finally left the coffee shop, and Ella hugged her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, now I am."

They ate their scones and drank their coffees as they looked over the reading material together. Within two hours, Hanna had read the assignment and she was going to take the test the next day.

"Thank you so much for this, Ella," Hanna said as she was dropped off at her house.

"You're very welcome."

She ran up her porch steps and then watched Ella drive away. She rang the doorbell and her mom answered it.

"Oh, there you are!"

"Sorry I forgot to text you and tell you where I was."

"It's okay, Aria told me you were with her mom...but if she didn't, I would have called the police! Something could happen to you!"

Hanna's heart stopped at the ironic statement. "I know, Mom. Next time, I'll...I'll tell you. I-I promise."

"I love you, baby." Ashley pulled her in for a hug.

"I love you too, Mom. I have to, um, I have to study. Ella...I mean Mrs. Montgomery, was extremely helpful, and I'm not really failing anymore."

"Oh, that's excellent! I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks. So, um...I need to...go." Hanna left her mom's arms and took the stairs two at a time.

Instead of doing her homework, though, she sat on her bed with her arms around her knees. She listened to breakup songs and cried into her pillow. She heard Ashley coming upstairs, so she scrambled to get her books out. It was too late, though, because her mom had already come into her room. Hanna sniffled and backed into a corner of her room.

"Mom, please...you don't need to..."

"My daughter is having a breakdown, do you think I would just ignore her? I've noticed something off about you ever since the dance. I don't know what's going on, but I know it's something much bigger than you crashing into something because you were drunk." Ashley led Hanna to her bed and sat her down. She put her arm around Hanna. "I need some answers. Remember when we agreed on no secrets?"

"Yeah...and I'm sorry...but that's all I can tell you. I bumped-"

"You might have, but you are upset, honey." Ashley plucked a tissue out of a box of Kleenex and wiped it across Hanna's eyes. "Physical pain goes away so much faster than emotional pain. Plus, I'm your mother, and I deserve to know."

"You do," Hanna agreed. "Um...I...I miss Caleb. He's over in Ravenswood...it's a really long and boring story."

"Why don't you call him instead of sitting here and crying about it?"

"I never hear from him. It's his turn. I don't want to pester him like some...annoying little girlfriend he can't get away from!" Hanna wailed into her hands and rocked back and forth while Ashley held her.

"Caleb loves you, sweetie, he doesn't think you're-"

"You're wrong, though! He's all googly-eyed for _Miranda _now!" The name tasted like acid on her tongue.

"No...that's not possible."

"Yes, it is! It hurts like hell!"

"I don't want to believe this."

"You have to. Face it, Mom, he dumped me...or better yet, I accused him of cheating and then hung up on him, and he never called me back to explain or beg me to come to Ravenswood...or come back here...I'm not wanted."

"Oh, my poor little girl." Ashley kissed the top of Hanna's head. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to be. I'm a pathetic freak, okay?"

"No, you're not. Now...what would make you feel better?"

"I don't know," Hanna mumbled. "I feel so dizzy...like I need to throw up." She rushed to the toilet and vomited. "Oh...I'm sick. That's great."

"Let me get you some water and saltine crackers."

"I have puke in my hair," Hanna groaned. "I...can't...move."

She was trying to take off her clothes for a shower, but she was too tired to do so. Ashley came in the bathroom and helped her. After her shower, she got dressed in her pajamas and stood at the top of the stairs to find Ashley letting Ted in through the front door. They were making out, and Hanna sank down the stair rail and held onto it. Remembering how she and Caleb used to be that way and weren't anymore, made her even more ill. She closed her eyes until their moans went away. She tiptoed down the stairs.

"Oh, howdy, Hanna!" Ted said cheerfully, and she jumped a mile. "How are ya?"

"Hey, Ted, I'm all right. How are you?" She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at 'howdy' and instead just smiled politely. He was like a dad to her, more of a real dad than her birth dad ever was.

"I'm good...great, actually." His voice went lower in volume. "I've been wondering...what do you think of me marrying your mother? She's in the other room, and she can't hear us."

"Wait, what?" she asked as a shock passed through her. "You're...asking...me?"

"I know, I should be asking her father instead of her daughter, right?"

Hanna chuckled. "Yeah...um...I have never given approval to anyone before...especially concerning my mom or my friends...you are a really nice guy and all, but let me think on that, okay?"

"I hope that turns into a yes, because I really love her and want to propose to her. I'm dying to be with her every second of every day."

"Wow. This is certainly...a surprise. I'm under the weather at the moment, but when my, um, head clears, and I get ahold of myself, you will get a response. I'm sorry, this is very awkward. If you have the ring in your pocket right now, though, I suggest you keep it there and do not mistakenly take it out!"

"Good advice, thank you." They both laughed.

"Hey, what are my two favorite people talking about now?" Ashley asked as she joined them.

"Oh...um, church," Hanna said quickly. Ted smiled at her. "He was explaining some things in the Bible to me."

"Sounds fun. Hanna, are you okay with water and saltine crackers for dinner? I know you have an upset stomach."

"Yeah, it's fine. I hope you two have a nice dinner to yourselves."

"Thank you."

The three of them watched a movie together and she couldn't help but grin at the way her mom and Ted were cuddling on the couch and feeding each other bites of pasta. She had mixed feelings about it, and she knew just who to discuss it with.

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing: Carlychristina8, CharmedAddict11, .ruby, and Britney! I appreciate the support :)**


	3. Be Brave

**Thank you for beta'ing, CharmedAddict11! As all of you probably know, Ella returns to Pretty Little Liars tonight, so that's why I have this chapter updated on this specific day!**

_And since your history of silence_

_Won't do you any good,_

_Did you think it would?_

_Let your words be anything but empty_

_Why don't you tell them the truth?_

_Say what you wanna say_

_And let the words fall out_

_Honestly I wanna see you be brave_

_With what you want to say_

_And let the words fall out_

_Honestly I wanna see you be brave_

Ella walked inside her apartment to booming music that was making the floors vibrate, and throngs of teenagers dancing and playing beer pong on her kitchen table. She was wondering who the host of this party could be, and why they would have it when she was to come home at seven at night. Obviously one of her children weren't thinking right. Someone was grounded.

_Its gettin hot in here,_  
_So take off all your clothes_

_I am gettin so hot, I wanna take my clothes off_

_Why you at the bar if you aint poppin the bottles_  
_What good is all the fame if you aint fuckin the models_  
_I see you drivin, sportscar, aint hittin the throttle_  
_And I be down, and do a hundred, top down and goggles_  
_Get off the freeway, exit 106 and parked it_  
_Ash tray, flip gate, time to spark it_  
_Gucci collar for dollar, got out and walked it_  
_I spit game cuz baby I cant talk it_  
_Warm, sweatin its hot up in this joint_  
_VOKAL tanktop, on at this point_  
_Your with a winner so baby you cant loose_  
_I got secrets cant leave Cancun_  
_So take it off like your home alone_  
_You know dance in front your mirror while your on the phone_  
_Checkin your reflection and tellin your best friend,_  
_like "girl I think my butt gettin big"_

"Hey!" she shouted over the pounding music.

The house was packed and the music was booming, making the floors vibrate with the beat.

"Give me a beer!" a girl shouted.

Ella walked away to try to find Aria or Mike. Her son was crowd surfing and then jumped down in front of some girl. They started making out and grinding each other while people whistled at them.

Then, someone tossed the girl a drink, and she took a long swig.

"Damn it, Mona, you're making me hard!" Mike yelled at her.

"What the hell is this?" Ella asked angrily while pushing a drunk high school boy off of her.

"Shit! Shit, his mom's home! Dude! Your mom's here!"

Mike finally looked at Ella and his eyes widened in pure terror. "Everyone out!" he hollered. "Babe, help me out here."

Mona opened the front door wide open and Ella had never seen an apartment empty out so fast in her life.

"What on earth did you think you were doing?" Ella demanded to know. He plopped down on the couch, but she made him stand back up. "You're cleaning this mess, young man."

His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he looked like he was about to pass out. "I'm not feeling good. I'll do it later."

"Are you drunk?"

"Oh come on, Mom, like you've never been to a high school party before, or thrown one, for that matter."

"No, this is not okay! You can't expect me to be alright with coming home to...chaos! What did you think you'd get away with? Didn't you know I'd be home at seven?"

"Relax, I just wanted to have some fun."

"You're grounded for a week."

"Mom!" he complained drowsily. "You're not being fair...Aria has done way worse than this...she's hooked up with her teacher!"

"She got punished for that a long time ago. I have a feeling you did this for a specific reason...you're acting out because your father and I split up. I understand."

"Well, then, why are you grounding me?"

"Unsupervised party...children doing unsafe and illegal activities...irresponsibility on your part. How can I trust you to stay home alone?"

"How can I trust you not to leave again?" he snapped back.

Ella sighed regretfully. "Mike, that doesn't mean I don't love you. You and Aria are wonderful children, and just because your father and I fell out of love, it doesn't change the fact that you and Aria are my children and I love you both very dearly. When I moved out that time, I was feeling so many emotions. I missed you guys to death. I was just so mad at your dad...I packed up and left."

Mike started cleaning up the area around him. "This is gonna be a long week."

"Dinner will be on the table soon, okay? Drink lots of water so your hangover isn't too bad tomorrow. You have school."

"Got it, Mom. By the way, Aria hates my new girlfriend."

"You've never introduced me to...Mona, is it?"

"Yeah. We just met...so it's not anything serious yet."

It was Ella's week with Mike, and Aria would be with Byron. She felt bad for her kids that they each had to see Meredith every other week. She was a constant reminder of how their family was ripped to shreds.

"Why does Aria hate her?"

"I dunno...she said something about drama with her friends and Mona caused it...but I think people can turn around."

"Aria's just being protective of her little brother. Don't take it personal...you can date who you want, and Aria knows that. She doesn't want your heart broken by some manipulative girl. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah...I once punched Ezra, so I guess we're even."

Ella laughed faintly at the memory. "Why did you do that?"

"I saw how infuriated Dad looked...and I felt like I had to step in before he could do anything."

"Hm...good choice."

The next day as Ella was setting up her classroom, Aria walked in and sat on one of the desks. "Hi, Mom. How are you?"

"I'm great. You?" Ella began to write the day's lessons on the chalkboard.

"Fine...but I'm worried about Hanna. She's been walking around like a zombie since Friday night after the dance, and she barely talks to us...her words come out of her mouth a mile a minute, so this is huge. She didn't even go to school yesterday after your class, and she hasn't eaten much...she reminds me of Emily after Maya was murdered...or Spencer, after Toby almost got killed. She claims that everything is okay and the people she loves the most are alive and well...but it seems like something terrible happened in her life that she doesn't want the rest of us to know about."

Ella was having trouble concentrating on her writing, as it was getting a little bit shaky. She tried to compose herself. "Honey...I get that you girls are concerned for your best friend. I would be too, if I was in your situation. Maybe it's just...after everything you four have been through, it's getting to her. She's worried that something will happen to someone she loves, in the future. She's probably just as shaken up as the rest of you were after finding out Alison was murdered, and then Maya, and that whole thing with Maya's killer. He was a friend of Emily's, someone you all trusted, and then he turned his back on you. He attempted murdering Emily, and if that doesn't scare anyone, I don't know what does."

"That makes total sense. It's just...all that happened so long ago. Why are the rest of us...even Emily...kind of over it...and Hanna's suddenly afraid again? She was perfectly happy before she left the dance."

"Everyone heals differently. Maybe something triggered a flashback...for example, a murder on television."

"Oh yeah...I remember Caleb got shot that night, too. He survived, though."

"She's probably thinking about the fact that something may happen to him in Ravenswood because it did here, and maybe this time, he won't be able to escape death."

"Oh, right...she never really expresses that worry, though."

"Sometimes, people don't want to say anything until they're ready. She may never talk about what's bothering her, and that's okay. She's not doing it to be mean...all she needs right now is a friend. She's got three amazing friends, my beautiful daughter being one of them, and that's more than anyone can ask for."

There was a pause as the warning bell rang.

Aria smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Mom."

"Anytime, sweetie. Love you!"

"Love you too!"

Ella looked up at the ceiling and puffed out a huge gust of air. She congratulated herself on escaping the awkward conversation with Aria with just a few good reasons of why Hanna would be traumatized and some good old motherly advice. She was best friends with Ashley Marin, and that conversation would be even harder. Luckily, though, she had time to prepare herself, since she hadn't seen Ashley yet.

When she returned from lunch, she was shocked to see her new student, Travis, rummaging through her desk. Upon first meeting him, he was quiet and she kept catching him glancing at her. He averted his gaze when she asked him what was wrong, but this time, he would need to tell her. She cleared her throat and tried to kick the frustration out of her voice. He looked up and stared at her like a deer caught in headlights.

"Mrs. Montgomery...I'm sorry...I was just..."

"You're not allowed to go through a teacher's desk, Travis. I'm going to have to write you up. New student or no, you need to respect my privacy." She walked over to him and he put his hands up.

"You don't understand. Just let me explain...please?"

Ella narrowed her eyes and squinted at him. "Five minutes. Go."

"I was at this school on Friday...my girlfriend goes here, and she invited me to the dance...I was on my way to the drinking fountain, and I saw this blonde girl holding onto you and I saw you throw a gun away. I didn't mean to spy on you, but I wanted to see why you had that gun and why you were protecting that girl. She looked terrified."

"So, you were looking for criminal records? What did you think you'd find during your little snooping extravaganza?"

"Proof that you didn't hurt anyone with that gun. Look, there's probably security footage...and I want to try and help you...and that girl."

"Well, thank you. I really can't tell you the whole story. It's confidential."

"I get it."

After school, Ella went to the police station with Travis, after getting a call from them to come down for some questioning. There was indeed, security footage from that night.

"Before I tell you anything, you have to promise me that when this goes in the paper, you'll change our names," Ella told Detective Holbrook and Lieutenant Tanner.

They nodded.

"Ella, we saw you holding a Rosewood High student, Hanna Marin, as you both rushed out of a classroom and down a hallway and then you threw away a gun. What was this gun doing on school grounds?" Tanner asked as she laid the gun down on the table. It was in a Baggie.

"It wasn't mine. I didn't hurt anyone with it," Ella said quietly.

"We found yours and her fingerprints on it. Can you tell us exactly what happened?" Holbrook asked.

"An unidentified stranger was sexually assaulting Hanna at gunpoint, and he ran off when he saw me. He left his gun on the floor and after I took care of Hanna, I grabbed it before anyone could get hurt. I was going to turn it in, but Hanna wanted to throw it away. We fought for it, and something scared us, so we dropped it in the trash can by accident. After taking Hanna back to her house, I went back to look for it, but it was gone. You saw that, right, Travis?"

He nodded. "Yes. What Ella is saying is true."

"It was gone because the police had taken it before you returned to Rosewood High," Tanner explained.

"I thought so."

"I assume that the gunshots we heard, was that attacker trying to kill Hanna."

"That's exactly what happened, but he kept missing. Apparently, he didn't have very good aim." Ella knew how to lie. She could look someone in the eye and do it with a straight face. After all, she had hid her emotions about her feelings for Zack, Byron's affair, and Hanna's rape perfectly well lately. Nobody even knew her real thoughts unless she said them out loud. She had also secretly helped Emily with a test, and it would forever remain a mystery to Principal Hackett.

"We'll try to find him. Thank you, Ella." Holbrook shook her hand. "Have a nice rest of your day, and you too, Travis."

"Thank you, officer," Ella said with a polite smile.

When she and Travis left the station, she told him she was grateful for his help. He responded that he was happy to do it, and then he went home. She got into her car and started it up, but then her phone rang. It was Ashley, so she sent her a text.

_Hey, can you call me back? I'm just leaving the high school, can't talk while driving. Meet at the Brew?_

_Okay, I wanted to talk to you about Hanna. I'm at work, so I can't go there until an hour from now._

_See you there._

After all the fibbing to the police, Aria, and Ashley, her heart was beating hard and her forehead began to get clammy. She drove a short ways away from the station until she was closer to the freeway. Then, it was easier to keep going. Her eyes were glued to the road as she went straight to her classroom. Hanna was sitting on a chair with her arms around her knees, nervously rocking back and forth.

"God! There you are! I've been waiting for so long!"

"I'm sorry, honey. I talked to the police."

"What did they say? What did you tell them?"

"I fabricated this story. They heard gunshots and saw us running down the hall in the surveillance videos...and they saw me trash the gun. I told them an anonymous attacker was attempting to murder you, and when I got there, he took off. His gun was on the floor by that time, and I got rid of it so nobody would get hurt...but I told them I wanted to turn it in, but you wanted it gone...and you tried to take it from me, and I ended up accidentally throwing it away. I took you home, and when I returned, I couldn't find it. I also said that we both didn't want our names in the paper."

"Wow! Thank you so much!" Hanna exclaimed and hugged Ella tightly. "This is amazing. I hope he's dead so he can't tell the real story!"

"Me too."

"Let's go to your favorite coffee shop."

Ella grinned upon hearing Hanna say that. They walked to her car together and went to the Brew.

"Oh, by the way, your mom is coming to the Brew in an hour. She's worried about you and wants to speak to me."

Hanna rolled her eyes. "Crap."

"Don't worry, I won't tell her anything you don't want her to know. That's completely up to you. She's going to be concerned about you...I know I would be, if Aria or Mike was all of a sudden in an unhappy mood. Oh, and tomorrow, I want to introduce you to Travis, one of my new students."

"Travis Hobbs? We both have you in the same class. I know him."

"He helped me. He saw us...he was there that night, with his girlfriend...and he had to step out for a minute, I forget why...and he said there was security footage, which I already knew...and he told the police that he witnessed my whole made up story."

"He doesn't know what actually went on, right?"

"No. He was poking around my desk drawers, trying to see if I had the gun."

"He thought you shot the gun?"

"Well, he had good reason to think that. I had it in my hand."

"Wow."

Once they entered the Brew and sat on a couch, they got comfortable. Hanna sat a pillow on her lap and wrapped her arms around it. "Ella...I dangled temptation in Caleb's face! What I was I thinking?"

_Ella hung up the phone and turned around to face her daughter. "That was your father. He'll be home late, and he apologized that he won't be here for the huge dinner I made. His work keeps him so busy." _

_"Mom...I need to tell you this...you should know." Aria looked very serious, and Ella began to worry._

_"What's wrong, sweetie?"_

_Aria took a few deep breaths and stared at her shoes. She placed her hands on top of her mother's and squeezed them gently. "Dad's out...with someone else...and I saw them...making out...in his car...last year...he told me to hide it from you...but I got so tired of keeping secrets...and I'm really sorry that I never told you."_

_Ella's heart skipped a beat and she could feel it break, piece by piece. "It's better late than never," she snapped. _

_"Mom, I'm sorry."_

_"You don't have to apologize, baby. I wish you'd said something earlier...but I'm not mad at you." She patted her daughter's cheek lovingly and ran up the stairs. She sat on hers and Byron's bed and threw his pillow at his nightstand, making his alarm clock, the picture of their family, and his bedside lamp fall off the desk and crash to the floor. Her stomach was twisted in knots because he cheated on her, and she cried until she couldn't breathe. She lost her appetite and slept until Byron woke her up._

_"Fuck you!" she yelled at him. _

"That you could trust him. Look at me, I was completely naive about the woman Byron was seeing behind my back...I thought he was a loving husband...but he turned out to be a faithless loser who betrayed not only me, but the whole family as well."

"You didn't give Meredith to him, though."

"No, I didn't, but I was her friend. It still makes me sick."

"You had no idea that she was the woman he was with."

"You're right." She bit her lip and decided to switch topics. "Is anything else bothering you?"

"Something else has come up," Hanna admitted.

"What is it, dear?"

"You know my mom has a boyfriend, right? Aria's mentioned it to you before?"

"Yeah."

"It's Pastor Ted."

Ella recognized the name and then burst out laughing. "He ate ice cream like Byron when I was on a date with him one time."

Hanna covered her mouth as she gasped and then snickered. "_He _was the guy from MainLineMate?"

"Yes...wow, gossip really _does _spread in this town. I'm guessing Aria has told you, like, everything, about my dating adventures."

"She's mentioned it. It's a funny coincidence! Anyway...um...he asked for my mom's hand in marriage...he didn't ask her directly, but he asked me for my approval. I think it would be really great if they got hitched, but I'm a little scared of what will happen...we'll get close to him, and then he'll get bored of us. I know he isn't right now...but my dad left after fifteen years. Also, me getting...you know...has mixed up my feelings about this situation. I don't know what to say to him."

"You and your mom have been through a lot, and he's been with you guys for a while, right?"

"Yeah...like, three months or so. I want to watch her face lit up when she sees that ring...and I like him a lot...I feel closer to him than to my actual father."

"He's a very nice man. I can see why your mom likes him so much. She deserves to have this happiness come to her."

"She loves him, and I know that he loves her like no other man could. He treats her well and I thought he was a goober when I first met him...but then I got to know him better. I want to tell him to go ahead and marry my mom."

"I think you should, rather sooner than later," Ella advised Hanna.

"Great! I'll go right now. He's at the church, so I have to walk a little ways."

"I could drive you."

"No, it's okay. I need the exercise."

After Hanna left, Ella let herself relax on the couch some more and busied herself with Solitaire on her phone. Someone sat down next to her, and she jumped a little. It was Zack, and she dropped her phone into her purse. She prayed her embarrassment wasn't showing on her face.

"So...I was wondering...is Ella a shortened name of Gabriella, or..." Zack asked.

"No. Just Ella."

"Just Ella, hm? It's very pretty."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I saw you had your phone out, and it reminded me...want to exchange numbers? I'm not busy at the moment, so I have a few minutes."

She smiled. "Okay." She picked her phone out of her purse and tapped the contacts icon. She gave him her phone while he gave her his. She put her number into his phone slowly and messed up a few times due to both nervousness and excitement. He was finished, but she was still correcting her number.

"If you have time, will you call me tonight?"

Ella nodded. "Maybe." She got her number right this time and gave him back his phone. She felt her hands shaking and sweating, so she wiped them on her jeans a few times.

"I'll call you. I hope you're up late at nights."

She blushed. "I have to go to bed at ten or eleven, I teach high school, and I wouldn't be setting a good role model for those kids if I slept in and came to class late."

"Well, I guess going out for a drink is out of the question, too, huh?"

"Mm-hm."

His hand was close to hers, and just as they were about to touch, she noticed Ashley come through the door. _Thank you for stopping that awkward moment, _she telepathically told Ashley, even though she knew her best friend couldn't read her mind.

"Oh...Ashley's here! It's been nice talking to you...but um...I've gotta go."

"I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation. I'll just sit here and wait-"

"Actually, I'm supposed to be preparing for hungry customers. Later, Ella."

"Okay...later." Zack walked away and went back to being behind the counter.

"If that smile gets any bigger, your face is going to explode. What is up with you?"

"Zack is constantly flirting with me," Ella whispered. "Changing the subject now...you wanted to discuss Hanna, right?"

"Yeah...my daughter is hurting, and so am I. She and I threw plates last night, after Ted went home. There's a place where you can actually do that!"

"Throwing plates...that sounds fun. Maybe I should do it sometime."

"It's a great stress and pain reliever. She seemed to be a little bit happier...but something else is wrong...she's screaming in the middle of the night, and acting like she's on a different planet. I've called her name a few times and it's like she can't hear me, or she's ignoring me. Does she do this in class, have you noticed?"

"She does space out at times...but Ashley, she's gone through some pretty rough periods. Caleb was almost killed last year, and her best friend lost her girlfriend...Maya was a great friend to our girls...and all this death in Rosewood could have made her think that she isn't safe, or Caleb isn't safe, in Ravenswood. Maya's killer is dead, but Alison's isn't. We're all a little cautious."

"So, you think Hanna is experiencing PTSD?"

"Yes. All the girls are. I don't know about Emily and Spencer, but Aria doesn't wake up screaming from nightmares. Hanna apparently does, and that's because not everyone copes the same."

"When I suggested therapy, she said she didn't need it for a guy breaking her heart."

"She's probably just going through a paranoid stage right now. Who knows how long it'll last...I mean, she's seemed so strong for a large amount of time. Maybe now, she's crumbling, and Caleb isn't here for emotional support."

"That makes a lot of sense. I'm glad she has you as her teacher."

Ella grinned. "Thank you."

"Ted has been acting weird, too."

"Oh, really? How?"

"He's very quiet around me and it feels like he's hiding something from me. Do you think...he's cheating?"

"I definitely don't think that is the case."

"Should I outright ask him?"

"You could, if you want. When did his sneaky behavior start?"

"Last night, when he came over."

Ella raised her eyebrows. "Ashley...maybe he's planning on getting you a birthday present...or throwing you a surprise party."

"My birthday isn't for a few months."

"Right...um...I don't know what to tell you. I can assure you that it's nothing bad, though. If I'm wrong, I'll take you out for a special treat and go to a bar."

"Hmmm...I'm going to go to that church and confront him right now!"

"You go, girl!"

They hugged, and Ashley left the Brew.

Ella couldn't stop making eye contact with Zack and she felt her face warm up as she did so. Later that night when she arrived back home, she graded all of her students' tests and watched a movie with Mike. After he went to bed on the spacious couch, she practically jumped into her own bed with her phone in her hand. She turned it on and went through her contacts list until she found Zack's name and number. Her thumb hovered over it and as she got closer to pressing it, her heart jumped a few times.

_It's too soon. She shouldn't call him. _

She gasped when her phone started vibrating. It was Zack. Closing her eyes, Ella tapped the answer icon.

"Hey, Ella, I was hoping you were still up."

"Yeah...hey, Zack...I was literally just about to c-go to bed."

"Great! I got you just in time. Listen, can I give you a ring tomorrow? I'm in a bad area." There was static on his end, and his voice was starting to get crackly.

"Yeah...yeah, sure, you can."

"Before we lose connection, I just wanted to say...we should hang out somewhere and have coffee...like, there's that cool place where all the kids hang out. Not the Brew, but Apple Rose Grille. How does that sound?"

"Sounds perfect," she whispered.

"Awesome! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice was faint, and she hoped he could hear her.

"Am I keeping you up?"

"A little...but yeah...I really have to go." Ella yawned and pretended she was tired. She liked to play hard to get and be the one to stop talking first.

"I enjoyed hearing your voice."

"Oh...me too. Good night!" she said quickly.

"Good night, Ella."

She turned off her phone and set it on her nightstand. She could only think about Zack holding her...kissing her...touching her...and she told herself that she needed to stop. They were only beginning to be friends, and that was better than nothing.

**Thank you for reading and reviewing: CharmedAddict11 and Carlychristina8!**


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